With 16 players gone from the previous season, 2012 seemed destined to be a rebuilding year.

Yet just three weeks ago, the Hawaii baseball team was in sole possession of first place in the Western Athletic Conference and receiving NCAA at-large consideration from collegiate publications, including Baseball America. But injuries, slumps and even a suspension derailed a promising season that ended with a thud in the conference tournament last week in Mesa, Ariz.

Hawaii lost seven of its final nine games to finish the year 30-25 — marking the fourth straight season UH won at least 30 games and ninth time in the past 10 years it finished with a winning record.

But after taking the WAC tournament in 2010 and sharing a regular-season championship a year later, reaching the 30-win mark felt less rewarding.

"I think that I’ll probably have some more perspective as the days go by, but overall it was a good year with a disappointing finish," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. "We showed at times that we were capable of playing really well, but down the stretch I was disappointed that we didn’t play as well as we could have."

These Rainbows were much different from last year’s team that had seven players drafted.

Early on, four true freshmen were regular sights in UH’s lineup. Ultimately, left fielder Kaeo Aliviado, second baseman Stephen Ventimilia and designated hitter Trevor Podratz were all locked into their positions just a year removed from high school.

Freshman Scott Squier and sophomore Jarrett Arakawa, who both will play in the Cape Cod League this summer, started every week of the regular season on the mound.

Hawaii also started a junior college transfer in Max Duval at first and Collin Bennett made the switch from the outfield to third base, where he played all but one game.

The ‘Bows made fans forget about their youth early on. They lost three of four to Oregon, which will host a regional next week, before winning three of their next four series, with Wichita State and San Francisco among their victims.

In late March, UH’s biggest downfall first became apparent when it lost all four road games at Gonzaga.

Hawaii finished the season 26-12 at home but was 4-13 on the road.

"The end result boiled down to just not playing well on the road and a lot of that was because we didn’t get the offensive production we would have liked," Trapasso said. "It takes toughness to win on the road, and the guys coming back know they need to be a lot tougher."

Not even Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., where UH was 6-3 the past two years, could cure UH’s ills.

Hawaii went two and out in the WAC tournament for the first time under Trapasso, giving up 17 runs in losses to Louisiana Tech and Fresno State, which won the tournament for the sixth time in seven years on Sunday, beating Sacramento State 4-3 in 13 innings.

Eight seniors, including Bennett, who led the team offensively, and reliever Brent Harrison, who had eight saves and a 1.14 ERA, will not return.

Seven other players, including catcher Billy Nottingham and Kapolei alumnus Kalani Brackenridge, who redshirted this season, likely won’t be back either.

The draft has also dealt the program a significant blow each of the past two seasons.

Trapasso has had 11 players drafted and 10 sign, including eight juniors, since 2010. Eight recruits have also been drafted since then, with only Squier and catcher Alan Baldwin, who redshirted this season, deciding to enroll at UH.

Outfielder Breland Almadova, who stayed in Arizona to participate in a workout with the Diamondbacks, is the most likely of UH’s current roster to be drafted and sign.

Even then, the draft shouldn’t have as severe an impact as it has the previous two years.

"It shouldn’t, but you just never know with the draft," Trapasso said. "The only thing you do know is that there are going to be surprises."